The Plentiful Harvest

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalms 74, Proverbs 12:11

“The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.” (Luke 10:2-4)

This is one of my favorite passages to teach on in Ethiopia. In just over fifteen years, we have preached the gospel to 3.5 million people. We have seen almost 600,000 come to Christ. We have planted well over 4000 churches and baptized almost 100,000 new believers. And still the harvest remains plentiful! What God is doing in Ethiopia has spilled out into South Sudan and Uganda. We already have our first church plant in Djibouti and just planted 25 more in Myanmar. I fully expect this revival to reach Somalia and Eretria in a few years and then jump the Gulf into Saudi Arabia and Yemen. By the time I die, I am praying God gives us a chance to plant churches in Mecca.

The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. We are asking God to raise up more church planters from our indigenous partner denominations. We are asking God to raise up more churches in America to join this work. We are asking God to bring His resources to bear so we don’t become the limiting factor in who God is seeking to reach. We need laborers who will pray. Laborers who will give. Laborers who will go. Laborers who will lead. There is an urgency to this mission! We cannot delay! We cannot let our fears get the best of us! God is sending us out as lambs amidst wolves. The work will be hard. There will be pain and suffering and persecution. Joining God on His mission always costs us dearly. But the price is worth it!

How are you engaged in God’s mission? Jesus tells His disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers and then in the same breadth sends them forth. They are part of the solution! They are part of the answer to their own prayers! They have been called by God to go into the harvest field to reap what God has sowed. The same is true for us. You cannot be a Christian without being a laborer! You cannot be a follower of Jesus without being sent! You cannot be a disciple without being a missionary! Get engaged, friends! Join your brothers and sisters around the world and start reaping the glories of serving Christ!

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 23-25, Luke 10:13-37, Psalms 75, Proverbs 12:12-14

Mountaintops and Valleys

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 18-20, Luke 9:28-50, Psalms 73, Proverbs 12:10

I think we can all sympathize with Jesus on some level. He comes off a mountaintop experience where He is transfigured before His disciples. He recaptures, for a brief moment, the glory He once held in heaven. He meets with Elijah and Moses. Again He hears His Father’s voice affirming Him as the beloved Son. But when He comes down the mountain into the valley of life, not much has changed. The people are still driven less by a desire to know Him and follow Him and more by a desire to get their needs met. They see Him as a means to another end rather than the end itself. So Jesus confronts them. Not in anger but in heartbreak. He has compassion even amidst His deep sadness. He knows what’s coming. He knows the Cross is beginning to loom large on the horizon. But the people still have desperate needs. And the disciples still argue over who’s going to be greatest. And they worry someone else might try to steal their thunder. Sound familiar at all?

We are not much different. So many come to Jesus not to follow but to get their needs met. They want a contract with God. You meet my needs and I will give you the worship you deserve. You heal my disease and then I will believe in you. You take care of the demons of my life and then I will follow you. Thankfully, Jesus is still gracious even in the face of our entitlement and privilege. Even after we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we get caught up in our pride. We jockey for position in the Kingdom. We want a share in His glory. We want to make our name great alongside His. We want - if not equal billing - at least a spot on the marquee. Thankfully, Jesus is still gracious even in the face of our pride and arrogance. He is not threatened by our posturing but instead continues His sanctifying work within us to make us humble.

I am sure all of us have had the mountaintop experience. Perhaps it was during corporate worship or on a retreat. Perhaps it was as you hiked in the woods one day or served God on mission. Perhaps it was a powerful movement of the Spirit that caught you unawares or a growing sense of God’s abiding love that touched your heart. We’ve all had these experiences and we also know the euphoria doesn’t last. We do eventually have to go back down into the valley. Back to real life. Back to the mundane. Back to the everyday. We have to return to work. Return home to the kids. Return back to the church which is filled with all kinds of sinners and saints. What was true for Jesus is true for us. The key is to keep our eyes focused on Him. To walk as He walked. Love as He loved. Serve as He served. 

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 21-22, Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalms 74, Proverbs 12:11

Remembering and Rejoicing

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 16-17, Luke 9:7-27, Psalms 72, Proverbs 12:8-9

“You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.” (Exodus 16:12) 

How do you feel when you reflect on the Law of God? Do you feel frustrated? Resentful? Upset? Do you feel like your freedom is being impinged? God is being arbitrary? Do you feel the Law is bigoted? Outdated? Immoral even? 

I think about all the rules and regulations Israel was commanded to follow. Rules regarding their clothes. What they could eat or drink. How they should spend their time. When they could do business and when they had to close up shop. I imagine it was tempting for them to think of these laws as limiting. Restrictive. Capricious. As if God was setting out to take all the fun out of their lives. But then Moses reminds them of whence they came. They were slaves in Egypt. They came from nothing. They had nothing. They were nothing. Until God found them. Until God saved them. Until God delivered them and made them His own. Gave them His name. Chose them out of all the people on the face of the earth to reflect His glory. To be a holy nation. A royal priesthood. 

God’s Law is not arbitrary or random or designed to take the fun out of life. It serves to remind us who we are and, more importantly, whose we are. We belong to God. He delivered us from slavery to sin. He lifted us up out of the pit and the miry clay. He put a new song in our hearts. The song of the redeemed. He gave us a new identity as His child. He adopted us into His family. He gives us the gift of eternal life. God didn’t have to do any of these things. It would have been perfectly just to let us die in our sin. But God is merciful. God is gracious. God is faithful. He desires to save not destroy.  

Whenever we are tempted to question the commandments of God. Whenever we are tempted to push back on God’s standard for holiness. Whenever we are tempted to doubt the wisdom and knowledge and motivations of God. Whenever we are tempted to rebel, throw them off, go our own way. It is important to remember where we came from. Who we were without Christ. Who we would be without Christ. Where we would be without His love and compassion. Our eternal destiny absent His gift of eternal life. Remember and rejoice, friends! God loves you! God saved you! God delivered you! Joyfully follow Him! Joyfully pursue holiness! Joyfully embrace the life God’s calling you to lead so you can be the person He created and redeemed you to be!

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 18-20, Luke 9:28-50, Psalms 73, Proverbs 12:10

Walk by Faith

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 13-15, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalms 71, Proverbs 12:5-7

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, "Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” (Luke‬ ‭9:1-6‬)

It’s fascinating to read this passage as I board a plane to Ethiopia to train church planters. The men and women I have the privilege of spending time with over the next two weeks actually take this verse literally. They exhibit power and authority over demons. They cure disease. They heal. They raise the dead in some cases. I have seen it with my own eyes. Most of all, they proclaim the Kingdom of God in the villages where they go and plant churches by the hundreds if not thousands. It’s truly amazing. They have no money. No possessions. So they can take nothing for their journey. They go to villages where they have no family or friends or social contacts. They count on the hospitality of the town for provision. It is not always easy. They are often persecuted. Beaten. Attacked. Threatened. They are going to villages where the gospel has never been heard. Almost all of them carry scars. Some of them even die for their faith. Through it all, God is at work. He is changing entire nations.  

It’s humbling and convicting to ponder what a verse like this looks for my own life. I gave my life to Christ over twenty-five years ago. Committed myself to His service. I’ve been in pastoral ministry for almost twenty years now and have made sacrifices along the way. My family has lived on public assistance. We’ve struggled to make ends meet. Relied on the hospitality and generosity of the congregations we’ve served. It has not been easy. But I have never faced persecution. Never been attacked for my faith. Never felt threatened. I’ve also never healed anyone. Never cast out a demon. Never cured any disease. I have preached the Kingdom of God faithfully over the years all over the United States. God has used what meager gifts I have to offer to change lives and grow His Kingdom.  

Sometimes we can get caught up wondering why the supernatural doesn’t happen as often in the US as it does overseas. Part of it is because we are bored with the miracles that happen all around us everyday. Doctors and nurses who perform incredible acts of healing. Psychologists and psychiatrists who treat mental health. Local church pastors who cast out more demons than they know simply by walking with people through the ups and downs of life. Familiarity breeds contempt. However, another part has to do with our struggle to walk by faith. We’ve been given so much. Most of us have access to resources that most of the rest of the world can only dream of. And as Jesus said, “It is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle.” We place our trust in ourselves. In our ability to provide. In our plans and strategies. We would never go on a journey with no staff, bag, bread, or money. We would never leave our luggage at home. We would never show up unannounced in a new village. These things just don’t fit our paradigm. And perhaps that’s why we don’t see the miracles.  

I always learn so much from my Ethiopian brothers and sisters. I am confident this trip will be no different. I am always asking God to show me what the next step is for my life and my ministry in Parker, CO. Walking by faith in America is different than walking by faith in Africa. But the same God is at work in both places. Where do you need to start walking by faith in your life today?  

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 16-17, Luke 9:7-27, Psalms 72, Proverbs 12:8-9

What has the Lord done for you?

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 11-12, Luke 8:22-39, Psalms 70, Proverbs 12:4

I love today’s reading. I have met men like the one Jesus encountered in the tombs. They are outcast. They are isolated. They are alone. They have no friends. They have no hope. They hear all kinds of voices. Their lives are a trainwreck. Often addicted, they use drugs or alcohol or both just to get some peace and quiet. The demons they face may be emotional, mental, and/or spiritual. Their challenges are so great, no one wants anything to do with them. They often end up in prison. That’s where I encountered them. And their plight is heartbreaking. 

The man Jesus meets is tormented. Naked. Alone. Starving. Living in ritual impurity among the dead. He might as well be dead himself. He has no hope. No future. No peace. However, for some reason unknown to Luke, this man goes to the shoreside on this particular day at this particular time and meets Jesus as He steps out onto the sand. The demons within him recoil in fear as they recognize the Son of God. They know they have no power over this man. All their fear tactics will not sway Jesus from His mission to set yet another captive free. Jesus casts them out. They flee into a herd of pigs. Chaos ensues. The pigs stampede into the lake and drown. This draws a crowd. The people come out from the city to see what the commotion is all about and they are shocked to see the man sitting next to Jesus in his right mind. Rather than rejoice, this scares them to death. What can this mean? What has just happened? What’s next? They ask Jesus to leave. The man wants to follow Him. Jesus instead sends him back to his city. Back to his town. Back to his village. Back to his family. Back to his community with these words, “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.” (Interestingly enough, Mark’s gospel tells the story of what happens when Jesus makes a second visit to this same region. Rather than run from Jesus in fear, the people respond in faith. This man’s witness clearly has changed the region.)

Telling others about Jesus is not complicated. It’s simply telling your story and making sure people know what part Jesus has to play in it. I remember sitting with an atheist friend of mine. He and I first met in a coffee shop outside Madison, WI. He and his wife had just had twins and we bonded over the shared experience. Our relationship began when I asked him to share his story which he was more than happy to do. After he got done, he turned the tables on me and asked me to share my story. Well...I can’t share my story without talking about how Jesus met me as a college student and changed the tragectory of my life forever. As our friendship blossomed, he kept coming back wanting to hear more about Jesus. It was a beautiful thing.  

What has the Lord done for you? And do you share it regularly and often with others? What miracles has God worked in your life? Do you let the people around you know? What blessings has God bestowed on you? Do you publicly give Him the credit? What testimony has God given you? Do you tell it to those you meet? Let me encourage to start. Talk to your neighbors. Your friends. Your co-workers. Take someone out for coffee. Grab a drink to share. Let them know what God has done and then watch God use your story to change their story all for His glory.

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 13-15, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalms 71, Proverbs 12:5-7

Humility

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 9-10, Luke 8:4-21, Psalms 69:19-36, Proverbs 12:2-3

 “When the humble see their salvation they will be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.” (Psalms‬ ‭69:32‬)

The great faithfulness of God should elicit humility in our hearts. When we come face to face with God’s greatness. God’s righteousness. God’s holiness. God’s unconditional love and grace. We should fall to our knees in gratitude and thanksgiving. We know ourselves. We know our sins. We know we are not perfect. We know our struggles. We know what we’ve suffered. We know the choices we make. We know the ways we’ve treated others or failed to reach out to those in need. We are a broken people. Our history is a tragic one.  

God’s Word is clear. It is not because of our righteousness that God saves. It’s not because of our goodness that God delivers. It is not because we are better than anyone else that God reaches down to us. God’s love comes to us in the depths of the darkness of our condition and lights the way. God’s grace is unmerited. It cannot be earned or achieved no matter how hard we work. It cannot be bought no matter how much we give. God’s favor is not something we can ever lay hold of in our own strength no matter how hard we try. It simply comes to us as an act of unconditional love.  

This was true for Israel as much as it is true for us. Not your righteousness. Not your righteousness. Not your righteousness. Over and over again like a refrain. God making it clear He is not acting on their behalf because they are good. In fact, it’s the opposite. They are stubborn and sinful and prone to wander. Just like us. No, God acts purely out of love and this should humble us deeply. It should set us free to be honest with ourselves and one another. To acknowledge our fears and our failures. To be transparent about our doubts and struggles and heartaches. Our relationship with God through Christ provides a secure foundation on which we can build our broken lives. 

Pride lies at the root of every sin. Pride warps our view of ourselves and others. Warps our view of the world around us. Makes us think wrong is right and right is wrong. Pride makes us think down is up and up is down. Pride exchanges the truth of God for a lie and we see the results all around us. Our world is suffering. Depression. Anxiety. Fear. Suicide. Substance abuse. Divorce. Sexual promiscuity is destroying relationships as well as contributing to the rise of STD’s. It’s like humanity has made a covenant with death. This is breaks God’s heart. It is not what He intends. So He reaches down to save us from ourselves. Lift us out of the holes we dig for ourselves. Set us free from the prison we find ourselves in. Praise be to God for His great faithfulness and love!

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 11-12, Luke 8:22-39, Psalms 70, Proverbs 12:4

The Faithfulness of God

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 7-8, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalms 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1

One of the things I love most about God is His great faithfulness. God always delivers on His promises. God always keeps His Word. God will never abandon His people. As I’ve mentioned before, Deuteronomy is Moses’ last sermon to Israel. He has led these people for decades. They’ve seen incredible miracles. They’ve experienced hardship and suffering. Now they stand on the cusp of the Promised Land. They can look over the Jordan River and see the land God has given them. But they also know the land isn’t empty. There are rival nations already living there. Pagan tribes who engage in all kinds of detestable worship practices. Driving them out will not be easy. It will require a long season of sustained warfare that will test their faith in God. 

So Moses reminds them of all God has done. Reminds them of why they were chosen in the first place. I love his words.  “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭7:6-9‬) God tends to stand on the side of the weak. The oppressed. The enslaved. He takes the side of the poor, the outcast, the sinner. He did not choose Egypt or Assyria or Babylon or any of the other far more powerful Ancient Near East empires. He chose Israel. He was faithful to the oath He swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He refused to abandon His people to a life of slavery and death. 

God is faithful. He keeps the covenant. He is steadfast in His love. He is the guarantor of our relationship. Why can we count on God? Why can we trust God? Why can we believe God? Because He is faithful. To Himself. Faithful to His own character and nature. God never changes. He is who He says He is. That is why His name is “I am who I am.” Friends, no matter where life finds you today, God is faithful. He is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you for He is faithful.  

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 9-10, Luke 8:4-21, Psalms 69:19-36, proverbs 12:2-3

Alignment

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 5-6, Luke 7:11-35, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

Many years ago, I had a lawnmower that went out of alignment. I think it happened when I mowed my yard during the cleanup after a hurricane. I was mulching all the downed branches and leaves when I hit a stump buried in the grass. The blade immediately stuck. The torque wrenched something deep inside the engine. From that moment forward, a shimmy began to develop. It was out of alignment. I did get two more years out of that lawnmower before it literally fell apart on me as I was mowing one day. The shimmy had loosened almost every screw holding the engine together and they all fell out at once.   

You and I were made to live for God. We were saved by God. Delivered by God. Chosen by God. He created us. He shaped and formed us in our mother’s wombs. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God’s own hands. As such, He knows what’s best for us. He knows what leads to human flourishing and fulfillment. He knows what makes us tick and how we can find the deepest satisfaction in life. This is why He tells us, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭6:4-5‬) It’s why He gives us the Ten Commandments. It’s why He revealed Himself to His people at Horeb and it’s why He still reveals Himself to us today. It’s why He’s so passionate about us teaching His ways to our children and our children’s children. Because God wants them to know what they were made for as well.

Why do you think God gets so angry when we chase after other gods? Why is God so direct with us about true worship? Because God knows at the root of idolatry lies a heart that is out of alignment. And if we choose to live out of alignment with God’s purposes and God’s will for very long, something deep within us will begin to shake. A shimmy will develop that eventually will break loose. Our lives will be disrupted. We will literally fall apart because we are not in sync with our Creator. Over and over again, God promises that those who rebel against Him will eventually fall. Those who refuse to acknowledge Him will eventually be put to shame. Those who challenge His authority will eventually be defeated. God is a jealous God and He will not allow His creatures to live out of alignment with His will. 

I know that sounds harsh so let me put it another way. A more relational way. God will not allow the creatures He made in His own image to live out of alignment with His love. You see, His love and His will are the same. There is no difference between the two. The commandments of God are not arbitrary but designed specifically to teach us how to love God and each other. They are the concrete examples of what it means to walk in God’s love. They are not a list of demands you have to fulfill to earn God’s love. They are not a set of steps you have to take in order to gain God’s love. They are the fullest expression of how we live for God. They help align our hearts with God’s heart and the more we find ourselves loving God’s commands, the more we’ll find ourselves walking in God’s love. Where do you need to ask God to align your heart today? 

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 7-8, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalms 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1

Moses’ Final Sermon

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 4, Luke 6:30-7:10, Psalms 68:1-18, Proverbs 11:28

Congratulations! You have made it through what some consider to be one of the toughest stretches in all the Bible. Leviticus. Numbers. These are challenging books to be sure. Pat yourself on the back as we dig into Deuteronomy. 

The Book of Deuteronomy is a sermon. In fact, it is Moses’ final sermon to God’s people. His last will and testament as it were. His final chance to encourage. Challenge. Confront. Comfort. He’s now led Israel for decades. And he was no spring chicken when he got started! He’s led them out of Egypt. Led them through the wilderness. Led them through the ups and downs of the wilderness journey. He has personally witnessed the miracles of God. Delivered the Ten Commandments. Issued the Law. Under the mighty hand of God, he has created a system of worship, governance, economics, and military organization that will long outlast him. It is a remarkable accomplishment.

Now he’s at the end of his life. He’s not going over the Jordan. He will not set foot in the Promised Land. What would you say in Moses’ position? Given one last chance to address God’s people, what would be on your heart and mind? What would you want them to know moving forward? What lessons would you hope they learned? 

One of my favorite speeches of all time was delivered April 3, 1968 by Martin Luther King Jr. on the eve of his assassination. He sounds a lot like Moses in my mind. “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like any man, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.” I think at the end of the day Moses, like King, was happy. He knew he couldn’t go over to the Promised Land but he died knowing his great work was finished. He had witnessed the salvation of God’s people. He had seen the glory of the Lord.

When you finish your life, how will you feel? When you look back at all you’ve experienced. All you’ve accomplished. All you set out to do. When you think about your family. Your children. Your grandchildren. What will you want them to know about you? Say about you? Remember about you? Will it have anything to do with your faith in Christ?

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 5-6, Luke 7:11-35, Psalms 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

The Lord’s Prayer Life

Readings for today: Deuteronomy 2-3, Luke 6:12-38, Psalms 67, Proverbs 11:27

“In these days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.” (Luke‬ ‭6:12‬) 

Passages like this have been an enigma to me for most of my life. I learned to pray with my mother. When I would grow up, we would pray every night before bed. “Now I lay me down to sleep...” It was the same prayer followed by the same requests for family and friends. What it lacked in depth, it more than made up in creating a discipline that continues to this day. As I grew older, I layered in the Lord’s Prayer that I memorized in church. Eventually, I grew more comfortable so my prayers became more conversational. I would tell God all my fears. All my struggles. All my heartaches. Even though I wasn’t sure He was listening, I still kept up the habit. Then I came to faith in Christ. All of a sudden “prayer” took on a whole new meaning. 

I fell in love with prayer. I treasured my time with God. I looked forward to spending time with Him. He became the first thought when I woke up and the last thought before I went to sleep. Even so, praying all night? Not in my wheelhouse. In fact, anything longer than ten or fifteen minutes was a stretch. Most of the time I would just fall asleep. So I’ve always felt a little guilty when I come across this verse and others like it.  

But then, in 2009, I faced the greatest crisis of my life. My marriage was struggling. My relationships with my kids were strained. My work was cratering. I was depressed and anxious and afraid. I couldn’t sleep. I would stay up most nights pacing the floor. And in those moments, I turned to prayer. I cried out to God. I searched the Scriptures. I began to intentionally listen for the first time in my life and God answered. He confronted my sin. He assured me of His forgiveness and grace. And He directed me to the changes I needed to make in my life. My marriage began to get better. My relationships with my children improved. I received clear guidance to resign my job. God began to heal my heart. But I still wasn’t getting much sleep so I kept on praying. Now my prayers were for the future. Where would we go? What would we do? How would I provide for my family? For three straight months I averaged about two to three hours of sleep a night. But again, God was faithful to meet me there. In the darkness. In the silence. In the middle of the night with only the Bible for company.  

It was a powerful time for me and it taught me something about Jesus’ prayer life. Praying all night was not necessarily Jesus’ regular practice. That would be impossible. Jesus was fully human and needed rest. But when Jesus faced a difficult situation. When Jesus needed guidance. When Jesus was choosing the Twelve or dealing with the emotions of His imminent execution, He spent the night in prayer. He turned to His Heavenly Father for strength and wisdom.  

Most of us are carrying a heavy load. We are stressed. We are struggling. We are depressed. We are afraid. We are anxious. Many of the people I meet with tell me they have a hard time sleeping. But rather than turn to prayer, they turn to their technology. They scroll Twitter or Instagram. For hours. And never receive a bit of comfort. If anything, it only adds to their stress. Eventually, their mental health is impacted. Studies show a direct correlation between the amount of time we spend on social media and the high rates of depression in our society. So let me offer a radical suggestion. Instead of turning on your phone, go to your Heavenly Father in prayer. Talk to Him. Spend time with Him. Get your Bible out and sit in His Presence. Listen for His voice. Let His Spirit minister to you as only He can. In this way, you will find yourself praying like Jesus. 

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 4, Luke 6:30-7:10, Psalms 68:1-18, Proverbs 11:28

The Broken Heart of God

Readings for today: Numbers 36, Deuteronomy 1, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalms 66, Proverbs 11:24-26

Today’s Psalm speaks deeply to my heart. “Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.” I love God. I love to praise God. I have dedicated my life to God. My life is rich and full and blessed as a result. I can look back on my life and see where God has helped me. Delivered me. Saved me. Strengthened me. I can see where He’s comforted me. Protected me. Healed me. Sustained me. Like the Psalmist I bless my God for these things. 

However, the Psalmist goes on. What is he blessing and praising God for? Trial. Struggle. Suffering.  “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water...” Do I praise God in the midst of the storm? Do I bless God when the cares and worries of this world seem overwhelming? Do I give thanks for the suffering? I wish I could say I do. When I reflect on my life there is a lot of pain and heartbreak. I have taken a lot of shots over the years. Suffered many wounds. I live in pain. There is no balm for what I feel. No pill I can take that will make it all go away. My soul aches and there is no cure. 

I have asked God, “Why?” Why do I feel this way? Why can I not escape the pain? Why do I have to suffer so? His answer is always the same. “You asked me to break your heart with the things that break my heart. To give you eyes to see the world as I see it. I am answering your prayer. I am giving you my heart and it is a broken one. Broken for the sin and suffering and pain of the world.” So I am learning to give God praise. To bless God, as the Psalmist does, for the trials. “Yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance...Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!” (Psalms‬ ‭66:8-12, 16-20‬)

The call to suffering is real, friends, for all who follow Christ. It is a call to self-denial. A call to crucifixion. A call to compassion which literally means “to suffer with.” We suffer as God suffers not for ourselves but for the sake of those we love. Those we live among. Those we encounter in our world. And the promise of the gospel is this...if we suffer with Christ, we will receive His glory. If we join Christ in His death, we will surely be joined to Him in resurrection. If we share in the sufferings of Christ, we will also share in His comfort. So praise Him, friends! Praise Christ! Bless Christ! Honor Christ! He is with you!

Readings for tomorrow: Deuteronomy 2-3, Luke 6:12-38, Psalms 67, Proverbs 11:27

The Dependence of Jesus

Readings for today: Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalms 65, Proverbs 11:23

Who is Jesus? Who do you understand Him to be? A Superman? Some kind of Marvel character? A human being endowed with extraordinary powers? Do you see Him as divine? God clothing Himself in human flesh much like you or I put on a suit or a dress in the morning? Is He an enlightened human being? A great moral teacher? A magician who performed magic tricks of healing? 

There’s a great line in verse 17 of our reading today.  “The power of the Lord was with Him to heal.” Wait a minute. Are you suggesting there might be a time when the power of the Lord was NOT with Him to heal? Are you suggesting that there might be times when Jesus didn’t have all the power and authority in heaven and on earth to command legions of angels? Are you suggesting that Jesus - the very Son of God, the 2nd member of the Trinity - somehow had given up His divine prerogatives and powers when He became a human being? 

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting. Furthermore, it’s not me who suggests it but Scripture itself. In Philippians 2:7, the Apostle Paul writes, “Jesus emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” What did Jesus empty Himself of? All His divine rights. All His divine power. All His divine glory. He put all that aside. Gave it all up in order to become a human being. To be born in the likeness of men and women. 

Jesus was made like us in every way according to Hebrews 2:17. He lived a life like ours. He died a death like ours. He united Himself to us so that He might raise us to new life with Him. So what does this mean? It means Jesus - like you and me - had to learn obedience. “Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.” He had to learn how to depend on His Father for all things. This was the source of His temptation in the wilderness. To break His dependence on His Father and provide for Himself. Protect Himself. Promote Himself. The perfection of Jesus isn’t so much that He followed the Law perfectly - although He absolutely did - it was that He lived in complete and utter dependence on the Father. He truly walked by faith and not by sight. So when Jesus stretched out His hand to heal, He was depending on His Father to provide the power. When Jesus confronted and cast out demons, He was depending on His Father to give Him the authority. When Jesus suffered on the cross, He cried out because for the first time His connection to His Father was broken. Through it all Jesus remained truly God and yet became truly human. This is the mystery of the Incarnation. 

What does all this mean? Jesus Himself told His disciples,  “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John‬ ‭14:12‬) Greater works? Than Jesus? Are you kidding me? Surely Jesus isn’t serious? Friends, the gospel is the power of God for all who believe. Trusting in the power of the gospel means learning to live as Jesus lived...in complete and utter dependence on the Father. To let your life become a conduit of grace and mercy and forgiveness and reconciliation. To let your life become the channel through which the love of God flows. This was the secret to Jesus’ life here on earth. It is why He was able to heal. Why He was able to cast out demons. Why He was able to confront powers and principalities. Why He was able to completely free from the cares and worries of this world.

Jesus trusted His Father. Jesus believed His Father would provide all He needed in this life and the next. Jesus had faith His Father was with Him every moment of every day. Those who follow Jesus. Those who believe in Him. Those who place their trust in Him. Those who actively seek to align their lives with His life will experience many of the same things Jesus experienced. They will share in both His glory and His suffering. Why? Because this is God’s plan to save the world. To use us as His instruments to bring peace and healing and hope to a world that lives in darkness and despair. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 36, Deuteronomy 1, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalms 66, Proverbs 11:24-26

Covenant Community

Readings for today: Numbers 32:1-33:39, Luke 4:31-5:11, Psalms 64, Proverbs 11:22

There is a difference between a covenant and a contract. A contract is ultimately self-centered. You enter into a relationship in order to get your needs met. You agree with another party to serve them so long as they agree to serve you. As soon as they fail or fall down on the job, the contact is broken and you are set free from any obligations. A covenant is different. It is ultimately “other-centered.” Yes, there is still an agreement between two parties. Yes, the agreement involves both parties getting their needs met. But it recognizes that failure is part of life. People are not perfect. Expectations are not always met. People’s feelings do get hurt. Covenants, however, cannot be broken. Forgiveness and grace are extended and reconciliation pursued instead of simply walking away. 

The people of Israel have made it. They are on the cusp of the Promised Land. Two of the tribes - Reuben and Gad - want to settle down in the land they’ve just conquered. This puts the covenant relationship of the people of God to the test. If they hold to a contractual understanding of community then Reuben and Gad have no incentive to go further. Their needs are met. They’ve received their inheritance. They can build their cities and feed their livestock and plant their fields and raise their families. They can walk away. But Moses reminds them their relationship runs much deeper. They are part of the covenant people of God. As such, their work isn’t done until all the tribes come into their own. This isn’t about them. They are not the center of the universe. They cannot use the other tribes to serve their own purposes. The other tribes sacrificed a great deal to help them claim their territory and now it is their turn to do the same. Furthermore, there are dire consequences associated with breaking the covenant. The previous generation wandered for forty years under the judgment of God for failing to keep their covenant promises. Would this generation make the same mistake? 

Tragically, we live in a narcissistic age. The spirit of the age is selfishness. Self-esteem. Self-care. Self-help. Self-centeredness is the rule rather than the exception. As such, all our relationships are fundamentally contractual in nature. As soon as we are let down. As soon as we are disappointed. As soon as our expectations are not met. As soon as we get bored. We break fellowship. We walk away. The results are devastating. Fruitful partnerships dissolve. Successful businesses fail. Loving marriages end in divorce. Churches split. It’s heartbreaking.  

The spirit of our age infects everyone. None of us are immune. I cannot tell you how many parents I’ve talked to who have switched their kids from school to school or team to team because their child experiences disappointment. I cannot tell you how many people I’ve talked to who jump from church to church because they aren’t “getting fed”, their needs aren’t “getting met”, or they’ve been disappointed and let down. I cannot tell you the number of couples I’ve counseled who tell me they’ve fallen “out of love” or the spark has “gone out” or they have irreconcilable differences and are getting divorced...again.  

The heart of the gospel is the covenant God makes with us to be our God no matter what. To be our God no matter how many times we fail or let Him down. God is faithful. Period. Nothing can separate us from His love and He wants us to exhibit the same kind of covenant commitment in our relationships with one another. Frankly, this is why we take vows when we join a church. To remind ourselves that we need each other. To remind ourselves that we are committed to each other. Through thick and thin. In good times and in bad. For better or for worse. We are all part of the same family and as such need to stick it out even when things get hard. There’s only one way this works. Grace. Forgiveness. Reconciliation. The gospel given concrete expression in each of our lives. The reality is you will only experience the grace and forgiveness of God as you extend grace and forgiveness to others. These two are inexorably tied together. They cannot be experienced independent of one another. If you cannot find it in your heart to forgive those who hurt you. If you cannot find it in your heart to extend grace to those who disappoint you or let you down. If you would rather walk away than reconcile then you are committing the grave sin of breaking a covenant relationship and you will fall under God’s judgment. He will discipline you until the covenant is restored for this is His will for your life and mine. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalms 65, Proverbs 11:23

Holy War

Readings for today: Numbers 30-31, Luke 4:1-30, Psalms 63, Proverbs 11:20-21

Crusades. Holy War. Jihad. Violence sanctioned by God Himself. In Numbers 31, God directs Moses and Israel to attack Midian. “Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.” Who was Midian and what had they done to Israel to cause judgment to fall on them in such an extreme fashion? 

Midian was a son of Abraham and his servant Keturah. While Abraham was still living, he sent Midian away so that there would be no competition for Isaac’s inheritance. Midian presumably thrived over the years becoming a great tribal nation. Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph was sold to Midianite traders as they made their way to Egypt. Moses fled to Midian to escape Egyptian justice and actually married a Midianite woman. As Moses learned to lead the nation of Israel, he leaned on his father-in-law, a Midianite priest, for advice but Israel’s close association with Midian would come back to haunt them as they began to intermarry with them and co-mingle their worship practices. This results in judgment as God pours out His wrath on Israel through a plague which is only stopped when Phinehas kills Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite chief named Zur, and her husband Zimri who was the son of a Simeonite chief. Furthermore, the Midianites had allied themselves with the Moabites, setting themselves in opposition to Israel, and called on one of their prophets - Balaam - to come and curse the people of God. 

You may remember the 2nd Commandment. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,” (Exodus‬ ‭20:4-5‬)‬‬ God is jealous for HIs divine Name. Jealous for His divine Glory. Jealous for His relationship with His people. He makes clear over and over again throughout the Scriptures that He will brook no rivals. So when Israel begins to worship the Midianite gods, God takes action. He calls for holy war. He commands His people to attack Midian and “execute the Lord’s vengeance.” Israel is successful. They kill all the males that come against them. They take the women and children hostage. They plunder their possessions. Then they go one step further. As an act of ritual purity, they kill all the male children and any women who is not a virgin. It is brutal. It is horrifying. It is judgment. 

This is scary stuff. Especially for the 21st century American reader. It doesn’t square with our culturally notions of a loving God who always shows mercy and grace to the sinner. When we read passages like this, we think of modern-day terrorists. Suicide bombers. Religious extremists like ISIS and we cannot understand how our God could ever act in such ways. This is where we come face to face with God’s holiness. God’s righteousness. God’s justice. The stark reality is this...evil makes God angry. Idolatry is an offense. He will not let it go. He will not overlook our sin. He will not turn a blind eye to our rebellion. Repentance is the only appropriate response of the creature when confronted by the Creator and this is the lesson we must all take away. God will not be mocked. Not back then. Not now. Not in the future. God is a God of love and mercy and grace but He is also a God of holiness and righteousness and justice. He is quick to forgive the sin of those who repent but He is also faithful to judge those who persist in their rebellion. Humble yourself before the Lord before it is too late. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 32:1-33:39, Luke 4:31-44, Psalms 64, Proverbs 11:22

The Power of Silence and Solitude

Readings for today: Numbers 28:16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalms 62, Proverbs 11:18-19

I am learning how to pray. For almost twenty-five years, I’ve been following the same prayer routine. I make lists. I journal. I read devotional books. I listen to music. All in a monumental effort to stay focused as I talk to God. It’s been hard. There are so many things on my mind. My wife. My children. My family. My friends. The needs of my church family. Missionaries I love serving overseas. The problems in our country today. My thoughts go a million different directions so prayer is hard for me. Always has been. 

Last fall, I was interviewing an Ethiopian pastor. He’s probably twenty years old. Maybe a 7th grade education. He’s risking his life to bring the gospel to a village almost one hundred kilometers from his home. I asked him how he prayed. He talked about his walks to and from the village where he serves. He talked about the silence. The solitude. And how God speaks to him during his travel time. I cannot imagine the burdens this man carries. Burdens for his family. His friends. The people he serves. The poverty they live with every day. The struggle for food and water and medical care. And yet prayer is as natural to him as breathing.  

So I asked this man to teach me to pray. He encouraged me to spend far less time on my lists. Stop the journaling. Put aside the books. Turn off the music. He encouraged me to rise early before the sun comes up and just sit silently with God. Let my thoughts run loose until they run out of steam. Sit in solitude until the voices in my head subside enough for me to hear the still, small voice of God.  

 “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalms‬ ‭62:1-8‬)

So I am learning to pray. Since my trip to Ethiopia last fall, I have been rising early. Getting up before the sun. Praying over my family before I leave the house. Heading up to the church where I sit silently in the sanctuary with my Lord. I let my thoughts go. I’ve learned to stop trying so hard to focus. After about thirty to forty-five minutes, I find my mind starts to clear. God starts to speak. Scripture begins to fill my head and heart. And I begin to walk the pews. Praying over each seat. Praying over the people who sit in those seats every Sunday. (Yes, I know our “seating chart...” ha!) Praying through the Scriptures God has brought to mind. The peace that comes over me is profound. It carries me through the rest of my day.

What does your prayer life look like? Is it hard for you like it is for me? Does it look like that of the Psalmist? Or my Ethiopian friend? Or does your prayer life look more like what mine has been? What would it look like to truly engage God on His terms? To wait for Him in silence and solitude? Does that even seem possible in the midst of your busy life? Let me encourage you to start small. Five or ten minutes in the morning before anyone gets up. At night after everyone goes to bed. Perhaps on your lunch break. Stay away from your tech. Put aside any distractions. Just you and God. Spend as much time as you need before Him until your mind clears, your heart calms, and you begin to hear His voice. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 30-31, Luke 4:1-30, Psalms 63, Proverbs 11:20-21

Biblical Feminism

Readings for today: Numbers 26:52-28:15, Luke 3:1-22, Psalms 61, Proverbs 11:16-17

Today’s reading includes a remarkable story. Five women appear before the gathered leadership of Israel at the Tabernacle to present one of the earliest recorded lawsuits in history. Their claim? Their father died without a male heir which means his inheritance is now in jeopardy. He was not part of the rebellion of Korah so they have legitimate standing to bring his case before the Lord. And they ask Moses to grant them their father’s property rights so they can preserve the family line. 

I cannot imagine the courage this course of action must have taken. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah knew very well that women did not have any rights in the ancient near east. Not in Israel and certainly not in the nations that surrounded them. Women were considered property in that time. Not even counted as human beings. At the death of their father or brothers or husbands, they were not entitled to any inheritance and were often left destitute. Fast forward a few centuries and we will see this scene play itself out in the book of Ruth where Naomi loses not only her husband but also her two sons, leaving her to fend for herself.

So imagine you are one of these five women. Raised to believe you have no rights. Your primary value is to bear sons to your future husband so his family line can be preserved. Now imagine making the decision to approach Moses and the gathered leadership of Israel in front of the Tabernacle itself to present your case. You know what you are about to do has never been done. You know what you are about to ask for has never happened before. You know there’s a good chance your petition will fail but you courageously step forward anyway. You argue persuasively for the preservation of your father’s inheritance and you make the audacious claim to be counted among your father’s brothers. 

I would have loved to see the look on Moses’ face. Was it shock? Confusion? Did he smile at the women’s boldness? There is no indication in the text one way or another. What we do know is Moses recuses himself and takes their petition to the Lord. This, in itself, is a strong affirmation of the women. And then there is the response from God. I have to believe their courage brought a smile to His face and He issues a new law for Israel. From this point forward, “If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter.” (Numbers‬ ‭27:8‬) A statute still used today as legal precedent by the American Bar Association. 

The Bible is a history of God’s interactions with many different human cultures. Human culture, by definition, is always corrupt and unjust. God is at work constantly bending the arc of human history towards justice. Towards righteousness. Here is a clear case where God honors the rights of women, granting them a unique status when compared to other ancient near east societies. There is a direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and Deborah who served as judge and spiritual leader for all of Israel. A direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and the female disciples who gathered round Jesus and remained faithful to Him even to the end when all the other male disciples had long since fled. A direct line between the daughters of Zelophehad and the women Paul affirms like Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junia who was “excellent among the apostles.” God is still doing this work today as women continue to be affirmed as strong and gifted leaders across all sectors of human society. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 28:16-29:40, Luke 3:23-38, Psalms 62, Proverbs 11:18-19

Growing in Wisdom and Stature

Readings for today: Numbers 26:1-51, Luke 2:36-52, Psalms 60, Proverbs 11:15

What are your impressions of Jesus? Can you imagine Him as a baby in Mary’s arms? As a toddler in Joseph’s carpentry shop? Running around with the other boys in Nazareth? Do you think He ever felt awkward? This sense that He was not like the rest? I imagine Jesus did. I imagine He felt set apart from a very early age. 

Many myths and stories have been told about the so-called “lost years” of Jesus. The years of Jesus’ childhood that none of the gospel writers bother to write down. Some say Jesus went to study with the gurus of India. Some say He spent His time with the Essenes and His cousin John. Still others believe He traveled to England with Joseph of Arimethea. All of these theories are completely bogus of course. Tales spun to satisfy a curiosity that simply will not accept the truth. Jesus lived a very ordinary life as the oldest son of Joseph and Mary. He apprenticed in His father’s carpentry business. He studied Torah with the rabbi’s. He simply “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke‬ ‭2:40‬) 

Of course, there were glimpses of the extraordinary in Jesus’ life. Like the time at the Temple when He was twelve years old. Joseph and Mary make their annual trek to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. After the celebration is over, they begin to make their way home. Since villages all tended to travel together, they assumed Jesus was with their group. However, after they get a day’s journey out, they realize Jesus is not with them and they panic. They rush back to Jerusalem. Search the city for three whole days only to find Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions. “Why have you treated us like this?” Why disrespect us? Why not obey us? Why did you not come when it was time to go? Their anger and frustration is palpable. Jesus responds by humbling himself and returns with them to Nazareth.

Meanwhile Mary adds this event to the list she’s treasuring in her heart. Angelic visitations. Miraculous conception. Awe-inspiring birth. Shepherds, wise men, and others worshipping her little boy. Old Simeon proclaiming Him to be the Messiah. 84 year old Anna saying the most amazing things. Surely Mary must have seen something special in Jesus. Something she did not see in her other children. And now this latest episode where her twelve year old son, displaying a wisdom beyond His years, amazing the teachers of the law in the Temple with His understanding. What a privilege to have a front row seat to all that God was doing in and through Jesus. To watch Him grow in wisdom and stature and favor with both God and man. Mary could not have been more proud. 

So let me ask you this question...is Jesus growing on you? Do you find yourself trusting in His wisdom? Trusting in His strength? Is Jesus “increasing” in your eyes? Has He found favor with you like He has for so many billions throughout the world today? 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 26:52-28:15, Luke 3:1-22, Psalms 61, Proverbs 11:16-17

God and Baal

Readings for today: Numbers 24-25, Luke 2:1-35, Psalms 59, Proverbs 11:14

One cannot read too far into the Scriptures before encountering a false god named Baal. Baal was a Canaanite god worshipped in many different ways by many different tribes. Baal is typically understood to be the storm god. The god of weather and fertility. In an agrarian culture, one can easily see how such a god would gain ascendance and become the primary object of worship along with his divine consort, Astarte. Worshipping Baal involved ritual sex. Priests and priestesses would copulate with worshippers who came to make offerings at the shrine. On high holy days, the community would gather and engage in large-scale orgies as they sought to commune with Baal. Some Baal cults went to the extreme often sacrificing children or worshipping their own excrement. Yes, you read that last part right. Their worship literally involved the uncovering of the rectum - the most shameful part of the human body according to the Jews due to its almost permanent state of uncleanliness - and depositing their waste on the altar. Such was life under the cult of Baal-Peor. 

Baal-Peor literally means “Lord of the open holes” or Lord of the rectum according to Jewish sources. Their worship was the very definition of ritual uncleanliness. The very antithesis of Israelite worship. God hates Baal worship. Hates it for what it represents. Hates what it does to His divine-image bearers. Hates how it de-humanizes and demeans. He is disgusted by it. Offended by it. So when His own people - the people He miraculously saved and sustained - begin to worship Baal-Peor, He responds with swift, righteous judgment. A plague is unleashed. Perhaps originating from the very waste the Moabites worshipped, killing 24,000 Israelites. Things would have been much worse except for Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, who takes up a spear and kills an Israelite man and Moabite woman as they engaged in ritual sex in front of Moses and the gathered congregation at the entrance of the Tabernacle itself! 

This incident at Peor is so horrifying, it becomes a watchword for future generations of Israelites. It will be used as a metaphor in both the Psalms and prophetic literature to describe extreme acts of unfaithfulness on the part of God’s people. 

Sadly, Baal worship is experiencing a revival. Perhaps not in the extreme form represented by Baal-Peor but certainly in the sexual liberties of 21st century American culture. Sex has become a god in our world. Lust has been mainstreamed. Altars to Eros have been erected all over and command millions of worshippers. Sexual restraint is considered unholy. The denial of sexual desire almost criminal. Speaking out against the god of sex blasphemous. Baal has even ensnared millions of Christians as well. Pornograpy. Sexual promiscuity. Adultery. Homosexuality. Serial divorce. You name it, the American church has condoned it. And where has it led us? Broken marriages. Abortion. Abuse. Sexually transmitted disease. Broken families and broken relationships. The consequences are legion. 

Against this rising tide of paganism stands Jesus. He affirms God’s design for holy sexuality within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. He speaks out against the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. He calls for sexual restraint in His Sermon on the Mount. He sets us free from the enslaving power of sexual desire and He offers us the far more fulfilling life of holiness instead.

Are you struggling with sexual temptation in your life? Have you experienced sexual brokenness and shame? Do you feel enslaved to your sexual desires? Jesus offers you freedom. Jesus offers forgiveness. Our faith in Jesus gives us the power to live a holy life and experience the joy that comes from submitting our sexual desires to Him.  

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 26:1-51, Luke 2:36-52, Psalms 60, Proverbs 11:15

Honest Prayer

Readings for today: Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalms 58, Proverbs 11:12-13

How do you pray? With eyes closed, hands folded, head bowed? Do you follow a formula like the Lord’s Prayer? Do you ever worry about saying the wrong thing? Are you afraid to offend God? Afraid to express your true emotions before Him? Do your prayers every look like those of the Psalmist? 

“Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge the children of man uprightly? No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies. They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter. O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord! Let them vanish like water that runs away; when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted. Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime, like the stillborn child who never sees the sun. Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away! The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth." (Psalms‬ ‭58:1-11‬)

The prayers God loves the most are the prayers that come from the heart. The prayers that seem wrenched from the depths of our souls. The prayers that express our deepest longings. Our greatest fears. Our sharpest pains. All our hopes and dreams. When you read the Psalms, you are reading the prayerbook of the Bible. You are reading a record of the written prayers the people of God have been praying for centuries. They often include anger and rage. They often call for vengeance and the death of enemies. And these things run so counter to the gospel. 

How should we read the Psalms? My encouragement is to read them less as ethical instructions and more as an invitation to be honest before God. To bring all your emotions and feelings and reactions before the Lord and lay them at His feet. God is a big boy. He can handle whatever you throw at Him. He is not afraid of your feelings and He is not easily offended. His love for you is truly unconditional and there is no condemnation in His presence. There is only grace and mercy and righteousness and peace. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever so you can count on Him to always be faithful. His promises are sure. His love is eternal. Trust Him enough to be honest with Him in prayer. 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 24-25, Luke 2:1-35, Psalms 59, Proverbs 11:14

The Humility of Mary

Readings for today: Numbers 21:1-22:20, Luke 1:26-56, Psalms 57:1-11, Proverbs 11:9-11

Mary is one of the most remarkable people in history. Chosen by God to bear the Savior of the world, this young teenage girl humbly accepts God’s call on her life. No fighting. No resisting. No arguing. She simply says, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Would that we all could exhibit the humility of Mary! 

Humanity’s major problem has always been pride. Fundamentally, we want to be gods. We want to be in charge of our lives. We hate submission. We despise humility. We scoff at the meek. From the moment we come out of the womb, we are already at war with any kind of authority in our lives.  

Mary understands her place. She understands her life is not her own. She is the clay and God is the potter. So when Gabriel brings her the news of what’s about to take place inside her womb, she embraces her call. When her cousin Elizabeth prophetically confirms the good news of her pregnancy, she rejoices. Her Magnificat is considered to be one of the greatest pieces of ancient poetry/verse ever written. 

 "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." (Luke‬ ‭1:46-55‬)

I love the notes she hits. God’s faithfulness. God’s blessing. God’s mercy. God’s glory. God’s holiness. God’s strength. God’s honor. This is a hymn of praise to God for all He has done not only for her but for her people Israel. She understands this is not about her...this is about the salvation of the world. This is about God fulfilling His promises. Ancient prophecies now coming true. Mary sees all this and is thankful she gets to play her part in God’s great salvation story.  

Mary trusts God with her life. She trusts God with her future. This pregnancy puts everything at risk for her. Joseph is considering divorce. Her family would be utterly ashamed. Her community scandalized. Rumors. Gossip. Inuendo would have destroyed her reputation. She is literally staring death in the face as a pregnant, unwed mother with a scarlet letter branded across her chest. Still she believes. Still she submits. Still she trusts.  

What about us? Do we see the world as Mary sees it? Do we see our lives as Mary saw hers? God has placed a call on each one of us. Every single person is called to play their part in the Kingdom of God. We are put here on this earth to be God’s instruments. To be used as He so chooses. Humility means accepting and embracing God’s absolute authority over every facet of our lives. It means rejoicing at the idea that He would choose us to accomplish His divine plan. This is the truth that formed the bedrock of Mary’s life. Does it form yours? 

Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 22:21-23:30, Luke 1:57-80, Psalms 58, Proverbs 11:12-13